Water and rice: a story of life in Bali

The small Indonesian Island of Bali, famous for it’s rice paddies, beaches and natural beauty, is at an important crossroad that may forever change the future of its people. Rice production and the farmers that cultivate the grain are being threatened both by development in the tourism sector and the scarcity of labour, especially among the younger generations who are turning toward less grueling and more lucrative occupations. Although the island is not a large-scale producer of rice, its history and democratic subak irrigation system which has existed for centuries have made the island farmers among the most efficient rice producers in the Indonesian archipelago. In a place where rice is an integral part of daily life, it is not only the most important food staple to Bali’s population but is intricately linked to spirituality, culture and life in Bali.

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Destination prisée par les touristes, l’île indonésienne de Bali, où la culture du riz fait partie intégrante du quotidien des résidents, se trouve à la croisée des chemins. Les rizières et leur subak, ces systèmes d’irrigation de rizières utilisés depuis des siècles, sont menacés, non seulement par les projets hôteliers, mais aussi par la raréfaction de la main-d’oeuvre, la relève étant plus intéressée par les emplois liés au tourisme.

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